Farmington, Mo.-based Freedom From Waste is taking extra precautions to ensure that it prevents the spread of COVID-19 in the communities it serves.

Daily Journal reports that the company has expressed its concern that if a person with the virus touches their trash can and trash collectors then touch that same trash can, they could have the virus on their work gloves. The next house’s trash can will then be touched with the same gloves and repeatedly spread hundreds of times per day.

In an effort to keep employees and residents safe, the company is taking precautions to reduce the risk of spreading the virus. Freedom From Waste has provided respirators, safety glasses, disinfecting spray and a surplus of gloves to its staff. Team members disinfect before starting routes, as well as frequently during and after routes. Trucks will be disinfected daily, and high contact areas will be disinfected multiple times throughout the day, the company noted.

The company also has asked customers who test positive for COVID-19 or believe they might have the virus to allow their household waste time to decontaminate before putting it out for collection.

Daily Journal has more:

A local waste collection service announced it is taking steps to prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the communities it serves.

Kenny Chiarelli, owner of Freedom From Waste in Farmington, said his company wants to do everything they can to prevent community spread of COVID-19 through isolation of waste from customers who contract the virus.

“We are concerned that a customer will get the virus and that when our team members come into contact with their trash, the virus will quickly spread to thousands of local people,” Chiarelli said. “The virus has been tested and can live on surfaces, like metal, plastic, and cardboard, for up to four days.”

Read the full story here.